Steampunk Rhapsody
by demimonde
Summary: AU. They were magnificent contraptions, majestic even. The wind in her hair as an airship sped up and up, forward and down, through clouds and around the sun and the moon...Sakura doubted she would ever get enough. Though watching one sink certainly wasn't in her plans nor was everything else that came after.


Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me.

…

**Steampunk Rhapsody **

_Chapter One _

…

Well shit...this wasn't good.

Shaking her head as a band of thick black smoke clouded the sky, Sakura grimaced. Rough waves splashed against the old raft she sat in as the tail end of the airship disappeared into the ocean around crew was scattered, the passengers scared, and pieces of metal, springs, and gears floated by.

"Are we going to die?"

"How are we going to get back to the city?

"We're going to fucking die!"

"Johnny! Johnny! Baby, are you still alive?"

Sakura snorted at the shouts and wails of despair. They were half a mile from the airship dock. The authorities would arrive any moment now with their steam boats to haul passengers back to land. There certainly wasn't a need to panic. Forefinger and thumb on the bridge of her nose, she sighed and slumped over. Damn, she thought this gig would've lasted a lot longer. She'd become pretty comfortable with the crew and had learned the ins and outs, the quirks and screws of the now sinking airship.

"Sakura!"

She glanced up at the sound of her name and offered a rueful smile to the captain. "What are you gonna do now, Madara?" she asked as the other boat rowed closer.

He shrugged, pulling up right beside her. "Shit happens. I'll just get another."

Sakura laughed. "Good luck with that."

He grinned and she was reminded once again that Madara was such a good looking man that it bordered on ridiculous. Kind and confident, if not frequently flirty and boisterous, he was a good guy and she was going to, admittingly, kind of _miss_ him.

"What are _you _gonna do, sweetheart?"

It was Sakura's turn to shrug. "I'll figure it out."

"You know you can always come with me. Izuna and the rest of the crew...we could always use a mechanic like you."

She smiled. He really was cute.

"Do I have to beg?"

"Puppy eyes, Madara?" Sakura whistled. "Pulling out the big guns, huh?"

"Please?"

Sakura however, declined. "I think it's time I moved on. Thanks for the offer though. Can I keep it for a rainy day?"

He pulled her into a tight hug and quickly stole a kiss. "You don't even have to ask, babe. Take care of that little ass for me."

She smacked him upside the head. "I'll see you around…"

…

In all honesty, Sakura Haruno had no idea what she was going to do. She'd worked on Madara's airship for a little over a year and before that had worked at various docking ports doing repairs. To say she was a wandering airship mechanic wouldn't be far from the truth. On occasion however, she would dally in the medic rooms as that was where she had been raised and had all gone according to her uncle's plan, what she'd be doing now.

Relaxing in the tub, she absently watched the steam curl around her. Tomorrow morning she would check out the postings and if she was lucky, she might be able to find a decent job worth pursuing. Hearing the hum-drum of steaming airships revving up and taking flight, she looked out the open windows framed by shoddy wooden shutters. Huge mechanical wings rose up and down as they lifted higher and higher in the darkening sky. Sails fluttered in the wind. Propellers spun and whistled and crews ran from end to end. They all looked like flying insects as she took in the rather beautiful view of Suna's airship port from her room at a local inn. They were magnificent contraptions, majestic even. The wind in her hair as an airship sped up and up, forward and down, through clouds and around the sun and the moon...there was just something freeing about it and she doubted she would ever get enough.

…

Sakura weaved in and out through the busy streets of Suna's central square. Long pink hair loosely braided, she headed towards the main port office and its various optic screens that displayed announcements, ads, and airships looking for crew members. Because of the heat she'd opted for a pair of short cargo shorts, a white v-neck and vest. A pair of above-the-knee utility boots and her well-worn leather pack slung across her torso with her few meager belongings were the only other things she needed. That and her trusty work goggles that sat snugly at the top of her head. Her possessions were little, their weight light, but she didn't mind. It made it all the more easier to pick up and go whenever she felt the need to.

Squeezing past a few burly tan men, she eyed the flickering optic screens and scrolled through the circular, only to raise a brow in surprise at how many airships she recognized looking for additional help.

The fucking _Rasengan_? _Byakugan?_ _Sharingan?_ Holy shit, was there some airship war she didn't know about while she was with Madara halfway around the world and they were now scrambling for crew replacements? At one time or another, she had patched up their airships while working at the docks. And though she hadn't interacted with the crew and captains directly, there were enough stories about each that she honestly felt she already knew them. If one were to be truthful however, most of those stories revolved around how _handsome_ and _charming_ and _sexy _the captains and crew were.

Scoffing inwardly, Sakura swiped through the rest of the circular, mentally logging possibilities. Her handheld suddenly buzzed with an incoming message and stepping aside, she read the message.

_Recommended you to a few guys I know. You can thank me later…M…_

What the…Sakura felt an acute sense of dread slink down her spine and pool in the pit of her stomach. That fucker. She told him as much and all she received was a smiley face. A fucking smiley face!

Jaw tensing, she tried to stem her temper by taking deep calming breaths. The next time she saw Madara, she was going to break his nose.

…

Sakura approached the airship Tessen only to inwardly cringe when a woman's harsh shout practically shook the deck. _Maybe on second thought…_

"Sakura? Well shit, if it isn't Sakura Haruno! I'd recognize that pink hair anywhere!"

Despite the other woman's loud and sometimes merciless disposition, the pink haired mechanic held a certain fondness for the blonde.

"Hey, Temari," she yelled with a look up.

Using the rope that hung from the side of her airship, Temari swung down and landed squarely on her feet. She didn't waste a beat pulling Sakura into a tight hug and crushing the slimmer woman.

"So what brings you around here?"

"Looking for work actually," Sakura replied, returning Temari's bright smile.

"Are you fucking serious?" Temari threw her arms up in the air, as if it were some great loss. "Why didn't you contact me yesterday? I already hired one of Shik's guys!"

Perhaps Sakura's reputation preceded her. "No worries, Temari. Your ship was the most appealing out of all the others so I figured I'd give you a shot first."

Temari offered a rueful smile. "Sorry, Sakura. If I could fit you, you know I would. Who else is on your list?"

Sakura showed her only to have Temari start crossing airships off her handheld. The Leaf hadn't passed spec by the air keepers so was stranded until they could get their shit together. The Maro was looking for a captain (the most recent one had died under mysterious circumstances). The Katsuya was a mess and hardly ever made it out to the skies. And the Icha Icha was captained by a total pervert.

Sakura groaned. "You just ruined all my carefully laid plans."

Temari laughed, shaking her head. "I see your absolute last resorts are the only three viable options at this point."

"Is it weird that I get a bad feeling every time I come across their airships?"

"Hardly. They're notorious. But Shik says they're all great airships to work on. And that's a lot coming from him."

Temari had a point there. Shikamaru Nara was brilliant, but he was lazy as fuck. It was a wonder how those two were engaged, but Sakura supposed they balanced each other out beautifully.

Just then, the Suna air docks were rocked by a heavy explosion. Having spent most of her life on an air dock and sleeping on airships, Sakura instinctively knew what it was and was already sprinting towards the source, Temari hot on her heels.

"What the fuck was that?" the blonde shouted.

"The internal propulsion aerodyne!"

"Fucking speak human!"

"If we don't cool it down and disconnect, say goodbye to your airship!"

"Then you better hurry your little ass up!"

Sakura rolled her eyes and among all the chaos, weaved a path towards the smoking airship. Jostled from every angle by panicking crews, she pushed and shoved her way through. If she had it right, they had exactly three and a half minutes. _Right, no pressure...no pressure at all._

"A mechanic! We need a fucking mechanic!" Someone yelled from the bridge.

"Well, today's your lucky day," Sakura sped past a few bewildered men, dropping her bag by the cargo bay door and rushing inside towards the center of the airship.

"Who the fuck is she?"

"She's about to save your asses," Temari barked with a rather proud grin.

Inside, it was nothing but smoke and pandemonium. But Sakura knew these babies like the back of her hand and most were designed in a similar fashion. Down to a little more than two minutes, she unfortunately didn't have time to admire this rather fine specimen of an airship, let alone breathe. Finally reaching the center, she dropped to her knees and started feeling around for a latch. Sweat beaded her brow and the fucking smoke was clouding up her goggles and-_there!_ She flipped the latch, jumped to her feet and slammed a foot down on one side of the now unlocked metal floor board. It popped open and she disappeared down the dark opening.

Within every aerodyne cell, there was a coolant container for times such as these and without a second to waste, she grabbed the cylinder and released the freezing vapors inside. She then made her way to the control board of the IPA only to find the optic screen hissing and spewing neon sparks. _Okay then, I guess we're doing this the dirty way._

She reached below the screen and yanked on the fried backup hardwires. They came loose with a wild hiss and a small shower of neon sparks. With bated breath, she reached into the hot cylindrical nook in front of her and physically disconnected the steaming IPA with care. It glowed an alarming red and for something about the size of her forearm, it packed a ton of power. She ignored the burn that hurt something fierce when she grabbed it, took five steps and delicately placed it on the ground by the coolant.

_Ten…nine…eight…seven…six…five…_Sakura finally let herself breathe when it stopped glowing red and slowly iced over. Slumping against the wall, she let her head fall back and tried to calm her racing heart. The adrenaline still rushed through her veins and unable to stop herself, let out a short laugh of relief.

The fans and sprinklers finally decided to kick in then, much to her chagrin. But at least it would put out the fires and clear the smoke. Now thoroughly soaked, she removed her goggles and rested them on top of her head.

"Sakura?" Temari's head poked through the opening and then she grinned like a mad woman. "You're still alive!"

The pink haired mechanic snorted in disbelief as she stepped away from the wall. "Your faith in me is practically overwhelming. Give me a hand up." With Temari's help, she pulled herself up and out of the cell.

…

"You!"

Sakura looked up as she dried her hair with a borrowed towel, only to suddenly be engulfed in strong arms. White hair. Loud. Wart on his nose. Possibly a pervert...wait, _definitely_ a pervert. She smacked his hands away before he could cop a feel. Well shit, she had just prevented the Icha Icha from destroying the entire air dock.

He grinned, eyes crinkling at the corners. "My crew tells me I have you to thank."

"Your IPA is shot. You'll need a new one…"

"And what is the name of my lovely flower?"

"It'll cost you a pretty penny, but there's no way around it."

"A woman after my own heart."

"...and you seriously need to update your smoke and sprinkler system…"

Jiraiya practically giggled, ideas already springing into his mind as he observed the woman ticking off her fingers and spouting everything that needed changing with his airship. She was quite beautiful and had a set of such unique, defining features that he was surprised he hadn't run into her before in all his years traveling.

Deciding he had heard enough, he placed a finger on her lips. "A name, please."

She frowned, but eventually relented after pushing his hand away. "Sakura Haruno."

"A true cherry blossom…" There was a spark in his eyes that made her wary, as if he was up to no good. And then he grasped her hand, turned it palm up and dropped a heavy bag of coins. "For your help."

"I-"

Jiraiya cut her off. "I insist."

Sakura was about to keep protesting but again, something told her to just let him have his way. Shit, either she was going soft or she'd inhaled too much smoke to think clearly enough.

"Take care of that hand, Sakura. I imagine the burn was a lot worse earlier." Jiraiya winked, pecked her lips, and dashed off before she could pummel him.

"Oi! Pervert!"

…

"Did you hear about the Icha Icha?"

"Hnn, the explosion earlier today," Itachi confirmed as they leaned against the railing of the Sharingan's spotless deck.

Shisui nodded as a slow grin curved his mouth. "You'll never guess who saved Jiraiya's ass."

"Enlighten me," Itachi drawled, if only to amuse his easily excitable cousin.

"A pink haired mechanic. I ran into Madara yesterday and he also happened to mention someone similar. Vouched pretty strongly for her."

"_Her?_"

Shisui's grin only widened. Hook. Line. And sinker. If there was one weakness Itachi Uchiha had it was his curiosity. And sweets. "Really? How many men do you know who have pink hair? Of course it's a woman."

While Itachi hated to admit it, his airship was in dire need of a mechanic before they set off for Ame. They'd lost the last one in Kiri because of a freak accident (struck by lightning, what were the odds?) and had been looking for a replacement ever since. Shisui and Genma knew enough to get them by, but it was a constant source of headaches for the Sharingan's captain.

"Madara has steered us wrong before," Itachi pointed out.

Shisui snorted. "Yeah, but that was payback for the little stunt you pulled two years ago in Konoha."

Itachi smirked. Uchiha didn't give up. They got even and Madara had done just that after he and Sasuke had tied him to a bed and set a very manly looking woman on him. "Do you have her whereabouts?"

"Lucky for you, pink hair and green eyes isn't exactly easy to forget. She was spotted with the Tessen's captain a little while ago."

"Temari?"

Shisui nodded. "She certainly keeps interesting company. First Madara and then Gaara's sister? Makes me wonder who exactly she is."

…

"I'll see you around, Temari."

"Let me know if you're still here when I get back, yeah?" Temari said, leveling Sakura with a pointed glare.

Sakura rolled her eyes. Her still being here was completely unexpected. She should've been halfway to Konoha by now with Madara if his airship wasn't at the bottom of the ocean. "Promise. Safe travels, Temari."

"You too, Sak-," the blond stopped midsentence when she noticed who was quickly approaching.

Frowning, Sakura glanced over her shoulder, wondering who Temari was looking at. Though the runways were quite busy today, especially given the cleaning crews from the earlier blast, the two men heading their way had to be the reason why. One couldn't not notice them.

"Who're they?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

They stopped in front of them and Sakura thought they looked awfully familiar, or at least resembled someone she knew. Dark hair. Dark eyes. Exceptionally good looking…

"Temari."

"Shisui. Itachi."

The greetings were formal and for Temari, that only meant business. Completely willing to remain in the background, Sakura quietly observed them until she noticed the attention had been diverted to her and a sneaking suspicion began to take root.

"You must be Sakura Haruno."

Her gaze fell on the older of the two. Short, unkempt hair, more ruggedly handsome than the other. Personable too, she thought, eyes flicking to the other. A light bulb suddenly went off in her head and she mentally strangled the only other Uchiha she knew. She was so going to rip off his arm and beat him with it.

"No." Sakura then turned to a silently laughing Temari, gave her a quick hug and whispered goodbye before turning in the opposite direction and walking away.

Temari finally allowed her laughter to pass her lips and glanced to the two bemused Uchiha. "Good luck, boys. Sakura won't be so easy to woo, even with your good looks."

Well, that was a first. Looking over at his cousin, Shisui got the distinct impression, if Itachi's intent gaze was anything to go by, that the chase had just begun.

…

Sakura was bent on losing them, but they were quite doggish in their pursuit.

"Ms. Haruno! Hear us out, won't you?" Shisui shouted.

Damn, he was fast. She turned a corner onto a busy market street and ran a hand through her long pink fringe.

"Ms. Haruno!"

She narrowly missed colliding into a chest then, catching herself by quickly sidestepping. A firm hand latched onto her wrist to steady her and she followed the length of his arm until she was staring into the eyes of none other than the Sharingan's captain. Did he really have to be so fucking good looking? She would've face palmed herself if not for his hold on her.

"We only ask that you listen to our proposal, Ms. Haruno. If you'd still like to refuse, we'll leave you alone."

Shisui came to a stop beside them and beseechingly looked at her. "Please?"

And charming to boot. She wondered if she had a weakness for Uchiha men. Or maybe it was an illness. _They're going to be the death of me._

Resigned to her fate, she sighed. "Just Sakura."

…

They ended up in a dainty pastry cafe a block away that Sakura purposely chose because they were buying and she probably, maybe, had an unhealthy obsession with their lemon cakes. Taking a big bite, she groaned in bliss, heedless of her present company and their rather amused expressions.

"We'd like to hire you," Shisui began, trying to gauge her reaction. "We heard you're a skilled airship mechanic."

"You would be compensated well," Itachi added, genuinely curious about her.

She was, without a doubt, beautiful. Arresting even with her fae-like appearance that had caught him off guard when she had turned around earlier, standing next to the Tessen. He hadn't really known what to expect, but it certainly wasn't what was sitting across from him. Svelte, yet curved in all the right places. Expressive, vibrant green eyes that made her incredibly easy to read and alluring at the same time. And most definitely stubborn and opinionated. It was difficult to believe that under this picture of femininity, lay a mechanic that had prevented the Icha Icha from blowing up by ripping out an IPA.

"What happened to your previous mechanic?"

"Struck by lightning in Kiri," Shisui lamented.

"You're shitting me?" Sakura raised a disabelieving brow.

"I shit you not," Shisui grinned, liking her more and more.

Sakura bit back a smile. "And how many in your crew?"

"Five, including us. We run a tight airship," Itachi supplied, wondering who was interviewing who at this point.

Sakura nodded, taking another bite in contemplation. "I'm guessing you must've had passing knowledge of the mechanics to make it this far."

"Aa. Enough to get us by. But it doesn't hide the fact that we need someone well versed in repairs."

"Every airship does," Sakura agreed with Itachi. "How'd you hear about me? No, wait, let me guess. Madara?"

"I bumped into him yesterday at the Desert Rose," Shisui admitted.

Sakura almost choked on her cake. "Figures he'd end up there," she muttered. The pleasure house was quite popular among visiting airship crews. Infamous even and boasting some of Suna's most beautiful women. Madara was such a man whore.

"Though word of what happened on the Icha Icha has spread. You're quite famous, Sakura."

"Don't get me started on that," she growled with an irritated roll of her eyes. That little escapade had surely added ten years to her already twenty four.

"May I ask how long you've been an airship mechanic?"

Sakura glanced at the Sharingan's captain. "Ever since I could walk it seems. I've been around them my entire life."

"Which is why you knew it was the IPA."

"There's a certain vibration in the initial explosion. And then you have exactly three and a half minutes to either pull it or run your ass as far away as you can."

Shisui gave her his best impression of a pleading puppy, already sold. "We don't bite, promise. Well, maybe Kisame does on occasion, but he's relatively harmless."

"Would you like to see the Sharingan?" Itachi offered, seemingly out of the blue. He wondered if she'd take the bait and perhaps, instinctively, he knew she would because if Sakura was anything like him, she'd want to see it up close and personal, touch it and feel it and judge for herself.

Shisui hid a smile. _Nice move, cousin._

She was hesitant to accept, however.

"It wouldn't hurt to see it, Sakura." A gentle push and sway. A harmless tug.

A few anxious moments later, she smiled begrudgingly, shaking her head. "No, I suppose it wouldn't."

…

_...to be continued…_

…

_Because I suddenly felt inspired and couldn't quite help myself… _

_-dm _


End file.
